A French Empire
by BaconBoy23
Summary: In the beginning, Napoleon and the French people were confused and distraught. But under good leadership, the possibilities for the French Empire were, literally, endless.
1. Chapter 1 - The Birth

**1****st**** January – 4000bc**

I am Napoleon Bonaparte. I am French. I am 30, and I am destined to rule the French people. It is 4000bc.

I shake my head, and look around. 101 people are standing on this patch of grass, looking around nervously. We have no idea what's going on. No one does.

Why are we here? Was there a beginning to this? How did everyone appear, out of thin air almost, in the exact same time with the exact same knowledge? If I am 30, then I must have been born 30 years ago! This makes no sense!

I stare at someone as they say "Lord Napoleon".

"Why are you calling me Lord? And how do you know my name?" I ask, staring at the person, dressed in a used rag. I seem pristine compared to him, in my light blue uniform.

"Well, I-I don't know, exactly… but you are our ruler, and we know that." The young man says. He is holding a club. In fact, 50 of our group are holding a club. The other 50 begin to call them 'Warriors'. The so called Warriors call the others 'Settlers'. They are equipped with basic supplies, such as food, and building materials.

The cold breeze reminds me that our current position is very vulnerable. I call for order, shouting over the confused cries of the people.

"Greetings everyone. We are all confused. All clueless of what has happened. We all have the same information as each other, and we can all understand what the other says. I am destined to be your leader. Do not ask me how I know this." I say, looking at the crowd. Some children begin to shiver.

"Let us build a settlement. Let us protect each other. Let us live our lives as they were meant to be lived." I say, with a louder tone. Everyone nods in agreement, and I can almost see the inspiration in some of their eyes.

"Any ideas on what we should call it?" I shout out, and 4 people, all dressed similarly to me, walk towards me.

"Greetings, Lord Bonaparte. Just like you, we have been told that we have a specific duty in life." A woman says, dressed in a regal red dress.

"We are your advisors. We will help you along the way." A man says, dressed in the same way as the warriors.

I nod towards them, and then look back to the crowd.

"I have an idea for the settlement name. What about, Paris." I say, looking at the crowd eagerly. They all clap, fond of the new name. I smile, and say to the settlers, "Let's begin."


	2. Chapter 2 - Decisions

**1****st**** January – 3950bc**

It has been 50 years since we appeared. And I was increasingly concerned to realize that I have not aged one bit. That isn't the only problem. Everyone else IS aging. This just heightens the idea that I am the true ruler of France. Around the year 3990bc, Jean-Paul and I, Jean-Paul is my Science Advisor, carried out some tests to check my immunity. It was… uncomfortable, to say the least. Sure, anyone who was crushed by a boulder would find it uncomfortable. But they would all die. I did not.

Jean-Paul called it "extreme luck". But we decided to test my immunity again. In the blue stuff outside of Paris, our citizens call it water, is not solid. We can't walk on it, and we can't live under it. In fact, if you do go under for prolonged amounts of time, you will most surely die. However, I can stay under there for as long as I want, with no damage.

Our scientists have managed to figure out that us 'humans' require to breathe, the process where we move our mouths and suck in, and to eat. I don't need to do any of those.

So, after many heated debates in my palace, where I reside, Jean-Paul finally said that I was immortal. He is still, to this very day, trying to figure out how.

After retelling this story to my 4 advisors in our daily meeting, they all seemed to understand. In fact, it seems to be happening to my advisors as well.

"I have come up with a theory, that anyone who is of importance to France will be immortal." Jean-Paul says. The others nod in agreement.

"My lord, as much as this conversation is relevant to the wellbeing of France, we have more pressing matters. Our workers grow restless. They want to help build France along with us, by improving Paris. However, they have many ideas." Elodie says. She was the woman who approached me on the first day, in her red dress. She is the Economic Advisor.

"We could build a shrine. Our citizens are having visions of a god of some sort. This 'god' of theirs put us here on the first place. It would give hope to our citizens, and answer the ultimate question." Luis says. He is the Religious Advisor.

"Or, we could build walls. Some citizens mention sights of strange men outside of our borders. These may just be rumours, but these rumours could turn out to be true. The walls will protect our citizens from any harm." Elodie says.

I sit there, looking at them both. I weigh up both of the options, and make a final decision.

"Work will begin on city walls at the first sight of light after the dark. We cannot risk these rumours. A shrine can wait, but if these strange figures decide to come to Paris, we must be ready." I say, with a tone of finality.

All the advisors walk out of the palace. Elodie looks at me and smiles.

"You made the right choice." She says.


	3. Chapter 3 - A discovery

**15****th**** May – 3923bc**

The evening sun rests on my face, as I take a gleeful walk around Paris. I stroke the wood walls of many different buildings. The dirt from the road makes my shiny black boot dirty. I grumble in disgust.

I walk to the newly built wooden wall, and look up at the spiked top of each pillar. I smile, and then continue to walk. I walk back to the centre of Paris, undisturbed. The city is silent in the dark. We rely on the moon as the light source at dark hours.

I hear the sound of running footsteps. A young man runs up to me.

"If you're a criminal, I'll let you know that I'm immortal and I am the rule of France." I say, tiredly. I have been confronted by many criminals before.

"No, Sir, I am not a criminal. I am the Science Advisor's son, and I have come to tell you that he has come across a breakthrough!" He says, panting. He looks at me with gleaming blue eyes.

"Ah, you must be Ambrose." I say, smiling at the teenager. "Your father has told me all about you."

We continue to converse, as we stroll the quiet streets of Paris. We eventually arrive at Jean-Paul's house. It is quite a large house, still a bungalow, but larger than the average citizens house.

Ambrose opens the door, and Jean-Paul stands there, looking at me.

"Sir, I have come across a breakthrough!" He says, with a bewildered look on his face. He shows me a curved stick; with a straight piece of string in-between it. "I call it, a bow!" He says, looking at me with a smile.

"And… what is it used for, then?" my patience wearing thinner by the minute. Jean-Paul senses this, and he ushers me out into the road. He pulls out a sharpened stick, and rests it upon the bow. He then pulls on the string, let's go, and the stick goes flying away, well over the walls. My jaw drops open.

"That is fantastic, Jean. I assume this can be equipped for warriors?" I say, taking the bow and admiring it.

"Ah, sir, that is the problem. The warriors build is too 'strong' for this fragile piece of weaponry. We need to train a whole new division of military units for this weapon. In fact, I have already started planning ahead. We could call them 'Archers'! Ambrose is fantastic with a bow, and is eager to enlist." Jean-Paul exclaims. I nod in agreement.

"We need a place to train these archers, though… how about, in the light time, I meet up with Marco the Military Adviser, and command him to train some young men with these archers, out in the fields." I say, followed by Jean-Paul's nodding.

"Then it's settled. Great work, Jean, and have a good night." I say, smiling. "And good night Ambrose." I say, eyes twinkling.

As I walk off, I think about Ambrose. He is clearly aging, and eventually Jean-Paul will have to face Ambrose's death. No father should ever have to watch his son's demise. This is part of the reason I have decided not to have children.


	4. Chapter 4 - Festival

**1****st**** January – 3900bc**

"Greetings, my French citizens. Today, we celebrate 100 years of… being alive, essentially. 100 years ago, there were 101 citizens, standing on this very grassland. We were confused, distraught, clueless of what happened. And, let's face it, we still are. But with our scientists making new discoveries every day, we shall be brought into a new era of prosperity! A golden age for the French people! So let's celebrate!" I call out from my Palace window to the grand population of 6,000 French people. They all cheer, and begin to dance and sing.

"Ah, this festival has gone off without a hitch!" Felicity, my Diplomatic advisor, says. She organizes Parisian festivals, and events which occur in the city.

"This is a very good festival, Felicity. Well done." I say, smiling. With a slight blush, she exits the room.

"My lord, we have recently discovered map making. Unfortunately, we can only plot our city boundaries because we have no scouts to explore the open land. We would only need a few scouts, just 3, equipped with basic bows to defend themselves and maps which they can plot their findings on. In fact, Ambrose wishes to become one. He is coming of age, sir, and is turning 29 in the coming months." Jean-Paul says.

"That sounds like a good idea, Jean. You truly are an asset to the French empire." I say, genuinely smiling at him. "In fact, after the festival we could send Ambrose to recruit some young and able men!" I exclaim. I then look out my window, towards the festival. Everyone is enjoying themselves.

I leave my palace, and join the crowds in the roads. I look at the newly established monument, the greatest source of culture. Engraved on it are the names of the 101 people who were here from 4000bc, and the dates of their deaths. 100 have died, outlived their life. Apart from me.

I walk outside of the city boundaries, and walk through the farms. I look at all the quaint houses, and a thought hits me: "Is there anyone else on this world?"

There must be, of course. We can't be alone. What if I am the only immortal in the world?

The thought begins to scare me, and I walk off towards the nearby hill. I climb the hill, right to the top, despite my 'old age' of 130. I can see for miles at the top of the hill. I even spot a winding river, and some forests. However, something stands out from all that. A lone figure, standing next to the river. I look towards him. In no time, he spots me. He sets off into a run towards me, and I begin to power walk back to Paris.

I alert the military advisor as soon as I get back to Paris. He shakes his head in despair.

"I will alert the warriors to be on guard. No matter what, do not let the news spread to the citizens." He says, looking at me. And in a mere second, he is off to the barracks.


	5. Chapter 5 - Refuge

**2****nd**** January – 3900bc**

It's early in the morning, and I am sat at my desk in my personal office. I read a long letter of request from a citizen, who requests that mines are set up on the hills outside of Paris. She mentions many valuable arguments, such as a need for new jobs. Unemployment is at an all time low, and jobs are desperately needed. Plus, the extra production would be perfect right now; even more projects are underway. I place the letter on the other side of my desk, which I have called "Accepted Ideas". Only one other letter is on the Accepted side, and that was for the monument which has already been built. I then take the next letter, and open it up.

A shrill scream from the western side of the city disrupts my reading. In a state of worry, I exit my palace and do a steady run to the screams origin. A woman runs out onto the road, and runs toward me.

"My lord! There is a… a 'foreigner'! He has walked into our city!" She says, loud enough for the citizens on the other side of the city to hear. A young man, equipped with an axe, runs out of an ally way and stares at me. I usher the young woman behind me.

"Greetings, friend. We mean no harm." I say, gesturing toward the man. He says something in a different dialect, but I can still understand him. "Where are you from, traveller?" I ask, ushering him toward me.

"I am from the great city of Beijing." He says, ruffling his jet black hair. I stare at the young man.

"Come with me." I say, sternly. I grasp his arm, and bring him to my palace. Crowds of worried citizens watch me, and I simply shout "Nothing to see". As I enter my office, I am presented with my advisors. I sit him down across from me.

"Welcome to the great city of Paris, the capital city of France. I am Napoleon Bonaparte, the immortal leader of France." I say, in a polite manner. He sits there, in torn clothes, looking at me. He seems to be shivering.

"Mikael, get our guest a new change of clothing?" I tell my personal servant, who runs to my bedroom. He brings back a nice set of trousers.

"Greetings. I am Xi Jing, of China, led by Queen Wu Zetian." Xi says, staring at me. "I am awfully sorry to disturb the peace. I was part of a scouting party, to discover new lands for the Chinese settlers. However, a large group of, what we call, 'barbarians' attacked us. I was the only survivor." He says, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Ah, it was you I saw by the river." I mention, and Xi nods in confirmation. "We will grant you refuge here. In a few months, we will have a new division of spearmen to protect the city. Our warriors will escort you back to China. I will personally come with you, and I can meet this 'Wu Zetian'. Tell me, is she Immortal?" I ask Xi, on the edge of my seat.

"Yes, she is." Xi says, looking at me.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Barbarians

**18****th**** January – 3900bc**

It's a very cold morning. We stand outside of Paris, on a very large field, just in front of the hill I stood on 18 days ago. 40 men, all holding iron axes, stand in perfect formation. At the front of the formation, I stand, with the new military advisor, Franco. On the other side of me, stands Xi. Franco begins to shout orders, and I stand plainly next to him. All the warriors begin to walk forward, up the hill, in a synchronized fashion.

"This trip will take a while, sir, I hope you realize." He says, looking at me.

"Yes, I figured that. Now, Xi, do you remember where the encampment was?" I ask him, nicely.

"Yes, I do… vividly. After we get over this hill, there will be plane grasslands. Then, shortly after that, there will be a winding river. Then, after that river, there will be another river. After that river, is the so called "Death-Kill" Camp" He says, beginning to shake. "They are ruthless. They must be killed." Xi says, with determination.

"The river, how deep is it?" Franco asks, curiously.

"Oh, it's more of a stream really. But the first river is pretty deep. Almost as deep as the Poa River in Beijing" Xi says, smiling.

"Well, we could just chop down a few trees and create a bridge of sorts?" Franco asks.

"Or, our warriors could just swim…" I say, staring our warriors. Our warriors have daily swimming practises in the Loire Bay. "They're used to the weight of their axes, so it should be no problem." I say, with a tone of finality.

**21****st**** January – 3900bc**

"So, that's the hard part done." Franco says, shaking his hair to get the water out. I issue the warriors an hour's break, to dry off and gain morale. We lost an awful lot of morale when we saw the camp.

The encampment has walls very similar to those of Paris', but Paris' walls do not have severed heads on them. Lots of smoke rises from the walled in camp. Franco had the smart idea to bring a few sticks and some cloth, and erected some shelter, which he calls a 'tent'. It's very handy.

Whilst Franco is discussing strategies with Xi (Franco knows that Xi has insider knowledge), I decided to set out for a stroll. I stroll into the neighbouring woods, and find a new animal. It has large 'antlers', and is very elegant. I approach the animal slowly, but it freaks and runs away. I decide to walk back to our camp now.

But the camp is no longer there. Everything has been packed up, and I can see the warriors crossing the stream. I run over there, enraged.

As I catch up with Franco, I yell "What the hell are you doing? You left without me!"

Franco stares at me. "Sir… we are undergoing a stealth plan, they do not know we are here. You may have just jeopardized this whole regiment!" he whispers.

I stare at him, embarrassed. "Sorry…" I mumble.

Many minutes pass of us all creeping past the large walls, and the group splits in 2. The plan is that 1 group will attack one side, and then the other group will flank them from behind. It's a good plan in my opinion.

The yells of battle can be heard from the other side of the camp, and Franco ushers in the other warriors. A full scale battle takes place, whilst Xi and I are stood on the edges. We make awkward small talk.

Many minutes pass, before blood stained warriors exit the camp.

"Our lord, the battle has been won! France is victorious!"


	7. Chapter 7 - Wu Zetian

**24****th**** January – 3900bc**

"Ah, smell that?" Xi says, smiling at me. We sniff the air, and the pleasant smell of Vanilla enters our nostrils. "That's the smell of the incense farms outside of Beijing. In our shrines and temples, we have lots of incense burning. We believe this pleases the gods." Xi exclaims.

"So, basically, we are nearly there?" Franco asks rudely. Xi stares at him in shock, but nods. I mouth the words "be nice" to Franco. Franco seems to be slightly afraid of Foreigners. We do not know what to call this irrational fear, but it will come to us eventually.

After many minutes of climbing an incredibly steep hill, we gain sight of the wondrous city Beijing. The only similarities between Paris and Beijing are the large, spiked walls. But that's where the comparisons end. Beijing has many large pagodas, each towering high above the other. A large winding river seems to flow right through the centre of Beijing. It's such a beautiful and peaceful sight.

Well, scratch that.

It was peaceful until all the citizens began to scream. "Barbarians!" They shout, as the workers rush into the city limits and some warriors carrying a different kind of weapon, this weapon seems to be a large stick with a sharpened stone on the end, march out onto the field. They prepare for battle.

Xi and Franco rush out to the Chinese 'spearmen', and greet them. I walk slowly behind, partly because it would be un-professional to run, and that hill was REALLY steep.

As I catch up to the group, it seems as though Xi has already recalled what has happened to his scouting party. That must be why he has fresh tears rolling slowly down his cheek.

"Xi?" yells out a spearman from one of the rows at the back. Xi, looking confused, turns his direction to the spearman. A man runs out of formation, and runs to Xi. They hug in a warm embrace. They must be family.

"Xi! I thought we lost you! Everyone thought we lost you! Oh, Muqin will be so glad you are still alive!" The man says. Xi and the man look incredibly similar, with the same colour eyes, hair, and skin tone. It seems as though each family shares this trait. Dunno why.

"Chi, my trip was so long… so tiring… so difficult! If it wasn't for the benevolent French, then I wouldn't even be standing here!" He bursts out, smiling at me in particular.

In a near instant, all of the soldiers, including Chi, bow down right to the floor. Franco and I look oddly at the Chinese spearmen, but in a mere second, it all becomes clear.

A beautiful woman, in glimmering red and gold robes, comes walking slowly towards us. She makes even me, in my pristine light blue uniform, look like a peasant from the streets. Franco and I share confused looks.

The lady, flicking her long, shimmering black hair back, strides toward us. She bows in respect to me, and I smile at her.

"Greetings. I am Wu Zetian, Empress of China. China seeks peaceful coexistence and fair trade, but will respond forcefully to aggression. We hope you are of like mind." She says, smiling at me. "Welcome to the glorious city of Beijing. May I ask for your name?"

"Ah, yes. I am Lord Napoleon, Emperor of France. I am loyal to my friends, but death to my enemies. I hope you are a friend." I say, smiling. I shake her hand, and she leads me forward. We enter Beijing.

It seems that all citizens, no matter age or status, bow to the empress whenever they see her. It really is magnificent, and I begin to wonder if I should follow her in footsteps with adopting more policies.

We walk into a magnificent square, full of banners with some writing that I do not recognize. It must only be speech that we can understand. As I walk further into the square, I notice carts full of supplies. Many people are trading goods. I ask one merchant if I can buy an incense stick, but he says that I can have it free of charge.

Fantastic. It does smell nice.

Me and Franco enter the palace, and immediately notice that the architecture is incredibly different to the Parisian style. Beautiful walls, with beautiful works of art. It truly is magnificent.

Wu Zetian opens a door, and ushers me in.


	8. Chapter 8 - Discussions

**24****th**** January – 3900bc**

Franco and I sit down at the long table which spans the entire room's length. Wu sits down at the opposite end of the table, smiling at me. She calls for someone, and a man rushes into the room. He instantly bows and, and waits for Wu Zetian to say 'stand'. Getting up, he sits next to Wu Zetian at the end of the table.

Everything is silent.

"Well?" Wu says at the man, glaring at him. His eyes widen, and he immediately stands up, pats his long green robes, and bows in front of me.

"Greetings, wise and respected traveller. I am Tailung, he Empress' Diplomatic Advisor. We are here to discuss trade between the mighty Chinese and…" he says, before quickly asking Wu something. She whispers something back, and he carries on with "the mighty _French _empire. May our trade be long and prosperous." Tailung says, returning to his side of the table. He sits down, and smiles at Wu.

"Alright, let's get straight to it. I assume the mighty Chinese people have discovered the secrets of Writing?" I ask Wu, smiling. She nods in conformation. "I then request that we set up an embassy in the others capital. This will be beneficial for the long and everlasting friendship between our two mighty civilizations." I exclaim. Franco nods in admiration.

Wu Zetian takes some time to think over it. She presses her hand against her extremely pale face, and mentions something to Tailung. He nods in agreement. Wu sits up, and begins to speak.

"We agree to your offer. We also request that a large road is constructed, from Beijing to your capital city of Paris. This will allow for the greater exchange of our cultures, tightening our bonds." Wu says.

"Sir," Franco whispers, "Are we sure we want to do this? There are too many risks. Barbarian attacks, Bandits and even in the unlikely case of war, then this will just prove as an advantage for them. I do not recommend this road, sir." He whispers. I shake my head at him.

"Oh, balderdash, Franco. This road will strengthen the trust between our nations, and trade will become significantly easier. I doubt that there will be a war this early in our lifetimes, Franco." I whisper. Regaining my strong voice, I say "We accept your offer. The French workers will build the road halfway, and we expect the Chinese to do the same." I say. Wu nods, as if this was obvious to her already. "Well, I expect there is not much left to do. Thank you for accommodating us, Wu Zetian. We shall be leaving now." I say. Wu nods.

"We thank the French people for trading fairly. May our friendship be long and prosperous." She says. We wave goodbye, and are out of the door. We wind down the corridors, and eventually, out of the palace. We are back in the crowded marketplace.

"Alright. I suggest that we depart for Paris at dawn." Franco says, looking at me.

I glare at him. "Dawn? What's 'Dawn'?" I ask. Franco almost laughs at my stupidity.

"Sir, 'dawn' is the term used for when the mighty sun arises and gives us light. It sounds better, and will catch more quickly, than 'light time'." Franco says, smiling. I nod.

"You know, we should probably build a centre of learning for our citizens to become more educated. For all you know, you and a handful of people are the only ones who use this term. We need a place in the city to transfer knowledge." I say, talking to Franco as we leave the city limits. We go over ideas for this new building, called a 'library', as we meander up the steep hill. We find our troops still sitting in the same place, having a good old chat.

"Alright troops! We shall wait until 'dawn' to depart to Paris. Job well done, all of you!" I say, clapping my hands together. They all roar and cheer. I simply smile at my military.


	9. Chapter 9 - Lyon

**28****th**** May – 3873bc**

It is a frantic day, today. The 28th of May will forever be recorded in history as a great day for the French Empire. The founding of a new settlement, called 'Lyon', will serve as a trading city between the two great empires of China and France. Situated 'around-a-bout' halfway between China's new settlement 'Shanghai' and Paris, Lyon will serve as the economic heart of the French Empire.

Well, that's what we're hoping for anyway.

And it's a frantic day because of the excitement of everyone in Paris. Large festivals and feasts are occurring in every Parisian district, and a large religious ceremony is happening in the large temple, wishing for our settlers' safety. Of course they will be safe, they will be protected by our best military units; spearmen. We originally saw these units outside of Beijing, and took notice of their awe-inspiring spears. So, naturally, we copied them.

"Sir, it's time. The settlers are ready to depart. Thanks to our maps provided by the Chinese, we have an appropriate estimate of where our settlers are headed." Elodie says. Now that the word 'diplomacy' actually has a meaning, the Diplomatic Advisor has had a large ranking up. "This city will revolutionize the French economy, and open up many new trading possibilities. Did I tell you that the hill outside of Paris was actually a great source of Copper this entire time? Unbelievable! If only we invested in Bronze Working earlier. Anyway, Lyon will also have a source of Copper nearby, allowing us to trade the excess Copper away. In fact…" Elodie says, pulling out a large letter. "We already have a trade agreement with the Chinese. It will take affect when we actually secure the copper outside of Lyon, of course." Elodie says. She has clearly been working extremely hard.

"Ah, Elodie, that is great. Now, what is this trade you have set up?" I ask her, eager to know.

"Oh, remember when you bought that Incense Stick from the Chinese market?" She asks. I nod, confirming that I do indeed remember. "Well, it seems as though the Chinese have an excess of Incense. But do you know what they don't have any of? Copper. If we trade our excess copper for their excess incense, it will be a great trade and help our population become even happier!" Elodie ecstatically says.

"That is fantastic. Now, enough chit-chat. Let's head off with the Settlers." I mention. Elodie seems to have forgotten about the settlers, and rushes out.

As we walk to the settlers who are eagerly waiting outside of the city limits, it seems as though the settlers are conversing with the Spearmen. This seems to be a good idea, as the trip will take rather long. It's good to be with those that you enjoy the company of, right?

"Alright, citizens of Paris! We will be departing for our new settlement! Now, remember this day! It will be the day that France's economy takes a positive turn! It will be the day that France's political relations take a positive turn! It will be the day, that FRANCE ITSELF, takes a positive turn!" Franco shouts, and the crowd cheers. The spearmen begin to march forward, and the settlers follow suit behind.

**14****th**** August – 3873bc**

I sit in my office, looking over at the great city of Paris. I see yet another battalion of Spearmen being trained in the Barracks, a few streets away from my Palace. I hear the noise of bartering from the streets below. I close a letter I had been reading, something about increased science research, and put it on the 'accepted side'. Seems like a good idea.

A knock on my quarter's door alerts me, and I call for them to enter. Elodie walks in, with a large smile on her face.

"Sir. We have just reported news from Luic. Lyon is now up and, running, and is an official part of the French Empire." Elodie says, almost screaming of happiness.

"That's great! But, Elodie, I must ask you one thing… who's Luic?" I ask, confused.

"Sir, Luic is the newly appointed Mayor of Lyon. He is expected to do great things for Lyon, and will be working with me in organizing what the city should focus on its production. You still have the power to change that, though, may I add." She smiles.

"Ah that's great news! I think I will visit Lyon. Will you accompany me, fair Elodie?" I ask, twinkling my eyes at her. She has a faint blush, and nods in agreement.

"We shall set off for Lyon at dawn." I say. "Oh, and before I forget, could you order workers to construct a road to Lyon from Paris?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"Already taken care of!" She smiles.

"Ah, great. We will set off at dawn."


	10. Chapter 10 - Battle of Lyon

**1****st**** September – 3873bc**

"I still don't understand why you bought these Archers along, Elodie." I say, looking back at the unit of Archers who accompany us to Lyon. I believe they are useless, as Elodie and I are both immortal. We can't be harmed (well, we can, but it won't kill us). I suppose the Archers are here, just as guards.

"I told you, Napoleon, I feel very… strange. I feel like something bad is happening, but I can't explain it. I bought these Archers along just in case." She says, looking at me with genuine concern in her eyes. I shrug her off. She's probably just making a drama. Some dirt got on her long, red dress and she freaked.

We climb up the large hill which has a rich source of copper. This was the main reason for Lyon's founding. When we gain this copper, we can begin to trade incense with the Chinese. This will definitely improve our relations. The road, that is still being constructed, that will connect Paris to Beijing will also improve relations. However, the road is very costly in maintenance. Not only the road itself, but the workers demanded better pay, and so did the protecting division of spearmen. It will all be paid back when Paris and Beijing make a city connection.

"What's that smell?" Elodie asks, sniffing the air around us. It smells lightly like… fire. Elodie and I share the same look of terror and confusion. "No, it can't be…"

As we reach the top of the hill, we look down on the settlement. Many different houses of Lyon are on fire, the smoke painting a deathly picture in the clear skies. Citizens can be spotted running and screaming, many evacuating to the neighbouring hills. Miniature figures fight in the streets of Lyon.

"Sir? What do we do?" An Archer asks me desperately. I look down at my citizens fleeing. A sad pain hits my heart.

"Men… prepare to fire." I tell them, sternly. Elodies' jaw drops open.

"Napoleon, are you serious? This could endanger our citizen's lives!" Elodie says, pulling me aside. I shake her off.

"Elodie, our citizen's lives are _already_ in danger. In fact, if we don't fire upon the city, our spearmen will lose this battle. They need all the help they can get." I tell Elodie, in a frustrated tone. She nods in agreement.

"Alright. Fine. Go ahead." She says, through her gritted teeth.

"Men! Take aim!" I yell at the archers. They take aim, aiming for the south of the city, where the invaders are. The yells of battle are still raging on. One more second lost, one more innocent citizen's life gone. "Fire!"

A rain of arrows fire down upon the invaders. At least 10 barbarians collapse, with long arrows still stuck in their backs.

After a long, 30 minutes of arrows raining down on the murdering barbarians, the spearmen make a final push, which drives the force back to the bottom of the hill. With only 5 barbarians left, they flee. However, they begin to flee in our direction.

The archers spend little time on them.

Elodie and I rush down to the city, or at least what's left of it. The burning shacks made of wood and straw, burn extremely easily. And the close proximities do not help. Many citizens, who were taking refuge on the top of the other hill, begin to stumble down. Their ordinary clothes are blackened with soot.

Elodie begins to have a heated discussion with the leader of the spearman division, but I head further into the city. Many workers sit in the central square, watching their hard work burn all around them. They take notice of me, and quickly stand up and make themselves look presentable. It doesn't really work.

But then again, anyone covered in soot from head to toe wouldn't look that presentable either.

"We should get the water from that nearby river, and use our clay pots to throw the water on the fire. This should effectively stop the burning." I tell them. They nod, as if they just received orders (which they technically did).

"We shall head back to our houses, on the north side of Lyon, near the river. We will fill our clay pots with water, and throw it on the fire. Correct?" He asks me. I nod in confirmation. They dash off.

It's a long and sweaty 5 hours before the fire has been dealt with. It effectively destroyed 80% of Lyon, but with the hard work and determination showed by those workers today, they should have this city rebuilt in no time.

"Napoleon, we should report back to Paris and inform our citizens of the Battle of Lyon. It was hard fought for, but hard won. This day will go down in history." Elodie informs me. "We'll set off for Paris at dawn."


	11. Chapter 11 - Le savior est le pouvior

**23rd February – 3678bc**

I look out of my palace window, observing the bustling city of Paris, the citizens who are working hard on the copper mines on the nearby hills and the wonderful, glistening sea. The sun drifts off to sleep, as evening approaches.

It's personally my favourite time of the day, evening. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the city, when everyone is coming home from a hard day's work and the blissful period of rest.

A knock on my door gives me a start.

"Come in." I say, looking towards the door. Elodie strides in, with a smile donned on her face.

"Ah, greetings Napoleon! I have a letter from Sir DePaie." Elodie exclaims, smiling at me. I look at her, curiously.

"Who's DePaie?" I ask.

"Oh, he's the new mayor of Lyon. The DePaie family are one of the wealthiest families in Lyon, and a son from the family has risen up to the challenge of being the Mayor." Elodie informs me, slightly giggling. She passes me the letter. I formally open it, and lay it out on my desk. I scan over it, and turn to Elodie.

"Ah, Lyon has finished production on a library. Fantastic!" I say. "Elodie, could you alert Jean-Paul please? He said that when I received this letter he would have some news for me. Probably a new project or something…" I say. Elodie nods, and rushes out.

As I wait for my visitor, I take another glance out the window. I can see the spearmen doing their daily trainings, out in the distant fields. I can see the archers patrolling the walls, keeping our citizens safe from the barbarians.

Those damn barbarians… they have been disturbing our day-to-day life for a while now. Even though they don't attack our cities anymore, they do like to kidnap our citizens and pillage our farms. I can't even count the times that the road from Beijing to Paris has been pillaged, and then the Barbarians abducting the workers that set out to fix it!

Some scouts are out there right now, looking for the camp that they keep coming from. It's been suggested that it is more to the south of Paris, as the farms in the southern region have been the most affected. However, the road to Beijing is in the north. It is a very controversial topic among the advisors.

Elodie walks into the office, and Jean-Paul walks behind her. He smiles at the sight of me, and I can't help but smile back. In his hands, he holds a large piece of paper. He does a curt nod of greeting, and places the paper on the desk. On the paper, it shows a large building, with many prestigious columns and, on the walls, there are the inscribed words:

'Le savior est le pouvior'. I look at the design, and read all the annotations. I then trace my finger over the design. I look at Jean-Paul in a mixed emotion of shock, and awe.

"It's a National College, sir. It's a grand place of learning for the children of the rich, withholding many different great works of knowledge. It's a good idea, huh?" Jean-Paul says, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Well, Jean, this is incredible. But, I don't think we have the resources yet. Plus, it looks a little too advanced. I think we need to have a deeper understanding of the world before we try and build something as prestigious as this." I say. I try and not look at Jean-Pauls disappointed face.

"Ah, I understand Sir. We shall try and do something like this project at a later date." Jean-Paul says, slightly smiling.

A knock on the door disrupts our conversation. A scout walks in, with someone dressed in foreign clothing. It's definitely not Chinese.

"Sir, we have found… someone else." The scout informs us, looking a bit confused.


End file.
